Completat
KarenBouvette
6 oamenii au considerat această recenzie utilă
aug 27, 2023
10 of 10 episoade văzute
Completat 0
Per total 10
Poveste 10
Acting/Cast 10
Muzică 10
Valoarea Revizionării 10

The Titanic of K-Dramas

After years of watching K-dramas, I actually created a MDL account just to write this review. I was instantly hooked and very impressed,which is rare, and my amazement continues with each episode aired. This seems unprecedented in comparison to other dramas I have watched. If I must compare, I would say this drama is on the level of Titanic, an American film, with regards to storytelling and emotional acting. I'm eager for more episodes to be released. I am blown away by every aspect of this drama. The Soundtrack is equally impressive, my kids don't complain about the orchestra music when I turn up the volume to cover my crying 🥲😅.
This is a must watch Drama.

Citeste mai mult

Considerați utilă această recenzie?
Completat
Salatheel
7 oamenii au considerat această recenzie utilă
sep 3, 2023
10 of 10 episoade văzute
Completat 0
Per total 8.0
Poveste 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Muzică 6.5
Valoarea Revizionării 8.0

Gone with the Wind, My Dearest…

It’s worth noting that the genre tags on MDL are historical, romance, drama, melodrama and not comedy, because even though the start has all the hallmarks of a romcom, as it progresses it gets a great deal more serious. I didn’t find the transition in Episode 4 altogether convincing and that is probably because the contrast in tone and overall production style between the start and what was to come is so marked that I couldn’t reconcile them. By the end, the impression was that I had watched two different dramas. Yes I do get that the writer wanted a contrast between peace and war, but for me, the frivolous approach to the opening didn’t lay a credible foundation for what was to come.

There is now a well established practice of sugar-coating a 21C story with pretty costumes and sets borrowed from an earlier era and dumping all the inconvenient things like the contemporaneous social rules and attitudes. The opening three episodes of this production sit very squarely in that camp. The costumes and sets are far too rich, clean and bright for the period and the social interactions are so far from the 17C that they had to script a line about how this village had lax attitudes to contact between men and women.

The story then transitions into sweeping epic mode and does a very creditable job of fulfilling the demands of flawed characters, poisoned chalices and lesser of two evils choices. At heart it is a love story and the character development of the two lead characters is the thread that binds it all together. This first part focuses more on how war and difficulty transforms our heroine from petulant, manipulative teenager to a strong and capable woman. And I suspect that the second half will focus on the male protagonist whose character also needs to grow somewhat.

The plot surrounding this love story is the politics of the time, which is given a creditable depth with a side serving of weeping melo. My gripe, which is not overly huge, is that the love story and the politics were not quite enmeshed enough for me. As a result it felt a little fragmented. The male protagonist was half-heartedly twisted into the political plot, which was correct for his character, but not helpful for overall cohesion.

I did enjoy the range of characters which offered the actors a chance to get their teeth into them with varying degrees of success. Namkoong Min can be smooth, slippery and enticing anywhere, and I think that Ahn Yun Jin stepped up to the plate with the later episodes, but her performance was a little patchy in places. Perhaps because of the irreconcilable styles I mentioned earlier. Another notable performance for me was Choi Young Woo as the barbarian general.

The music was a mixed bag. I liked the opening sequence, the low camera angle, the muted tones and the silence followed by strains of music that had echoes of history in it. But we soon graduated to the hackneyed swelling strings and a full-on Kolly-Bollywood dance. In general, the music disappointed. The introduction to the unsurpassable singer (Ryang Eum) in the story just felt ordinary to me, although later instances were more convincing. There were however, some good OST ballads, mostly used for the ending credits.

Overall, it would be churlish to call this production average. What stops it from being exceptional is the uneven writing that created a somewhat bumpy ride. However, it was good enough for me to want to embark on part 2 when it arrives.

Citeste mai mult

Considerați utilă această recenzie?
Completat
jesslalune
4 oamenii au considerat această recenzie utilă
sep 4, 2023
10 of 10 episoade văzute
Completat 0
Per total 9.0
Poveste 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Muzică 8.0
Valoarea Revizionării 8.5
Această recenzie poate conține spoilere

A romantic story like no other

Honestly, I don’t even know how to begin this review. Considering this drama is divided in 2 parts, it is quite hard for me to judge only the first half of such a beautiful and angsty drama. BUT I think it deserves all the love it is getting and I really hope that the rumors surrounding the ending of part 1 will not deter other viewers to at least try watching it.

!!!!!! SPOILERS INCOMING BEWARE !!!!!! Not even a proper review, more of an “essay” regarding episode 10 lol

Of course, I understand why many were confused and disappointed about the ending (for a moment I was too) but like I said before, it is only the first half of a story with 10 more episodes airing in October and the love story between the FL and the ML isn’t finished at all, I would even say that it didn’t fully begin yet. I feel like the character growth of the FL will be even more obvious in part 2, moreover considering the fact that the FL at the beginning of part 1 and at its ending is no longer the same person already. Of course, she has flaws and it shows but the ML isn’t perfect either! I think they both have their rights and their wrongs in the events following the ML departure to follow the Crown Prince.

I don’t exactly know how much time passed between his departure and his return but how is a young girl, who became against her wishes the new head of the family, supposed to take care of a bunch of people on her own? Even so, she clearly said many times to the general that she couldn’t and wouldn’t love him like he did. She even thought, like all of them, that the ML was dead! But then, he returned, and she wavered of course, because it was very tempting to leave all her responsibilities behind and follow the man of her dreams (literally!). Unfortunately (or fortunately), this story isn’t all about the lovey-dovey stuff, they are living in times of war, with famine and violence knocking at their door nearly each day, so it was perfectly rational of her to choose to stay with her family and friends.

I also saw some comments saying that her letter toward the ML was awful but I believe that it was a brave choice coming from her: she told him that she didn’t love him enough to follow him, but it was the perfect trick to make him “forget” about her, and to live on with his life, completely devoid of regrets or sadness. They will meet again for sure, but for now, this is the ending of this uncertain relationship, in which neither is fully committed to the other, because there are more urgent matters that need to be dealt with first (like the war for the ML and the need to protect one’s family for the FL).

It's not a good look for me but, watching the final episode, I was ready to throw hands with the FL for seemingly toying with the ML’s feelings like that. Then, after calming down a little and doing a serious introspection, I couldn’t stay mad at the FL, because despite her somewhat childish and harsh character, she still risked her life many times to protect her family, all alone at that! And to throw this fact away just to follow a man she doesn’t know very well (even the viewers don’t have a clue about his past, how is she supposed to know that he is 100% truthful?) it would have been very stupid (in my opinion).

On the other hand, I don’t have much to say about the ML, he is perfectly dreamy and his lines always make my heart melt like snow under the sun, but he’s still a total mystery for now, and I really hope his past life will be addressed correctly in part 2. The appearance of a potential “SFL” made me worry for a little bit, I can’t lie, but honestly, I don’t think the ML have any space in his heart left for a woman other than the FL. I could be wrong, but considering the very beginning of episode 1 when he’s surrounded by soldiers on the beach, he clearly loves her still. Now, will it have a happy ending or a sad one…? I want to believe some theories about them living happily even after but my brain is already telling me to wake up and already prepare for the worst lol.

The only downside about this first part is the weird editing, making it hard to follow the story and its specific timeline. For example, during episode 10, the FL and ML meet a few times during her wedding’s preparations, but for me it felt like they met 3-4 times during the same night, even if logically, it would make more sense if it all happened during the course of a week or so. Also, the editing isn’t very well done during some scenes: hands aren’t positioned the same in different angles, the same motion is repeated at different angles, and sometimes little “zooms” are added in, which made me quite confused. Maybe part 2 will be better in this aspect. So yeah, that’s all for me guys!! I will certainly watch part 1 again before part 2 airs, and maybe I will add some other thoughts in this “review”.

Citeste mai mult

Considerați utilă această recenzie?
Completat
MOA
4 oamenii au considerat această recenzie utilă
dec 5, 2023
10 of 10 episoade văzute
Completat 0
Per total 9.0
Poveste 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Muzică 10
Valoarea Revizionării 9.5

I CAN HEAR THE SOUND OF THE FLOWERS

STORY
THIS was a heartfelt story of two people that can not really understand themselves the story is really captivating and you will not get bored. It's truly out of this world. It does not on me have romance but they is also action and very realistic and dad moments .

Characters
1 What can I saw about the character I loved each one of them so very much but my heart leans more toward the main male lead Lee Jang Hyun ( Namkoong Min) that man character was out of this world. He is so true to his feelings and he was good perfect man in everyway. The way he spoke to the female lead all the time and you could see his love for
Yu Gil Chae in the way he looked at her. His courage to wear his heart on his sleeves was truly amazing.
2 Yu Gil Chae she is one of my fav female lead in k drama because she was not the typical nice, loving kind of lady. Her personality is strong and she fights for 2hat she wants but when it comes to following her Harry she is just not good at that which is really sad

Overall I love all the characters and they way they the make the story come to life

MUSIC
I love the ost so very much I think it goes very well with the story.


CONCLUSION
I feel like overall the whole drama is a must Whatch it makes you feel so many emotions. Without giving to much it really shows that feeling are very hard to express and act on it shows that sometimes our heart wants one thing but the head wants safety

Should Whatch

Citeste mai mult

Considerați utilă această recenzie?
Completat
anhiik
4 oamenii au considerat această recenzie utilă
mar 17, 2024
10 of 10 episoade văzute
Completat 0
Per total 9.5
Poveste 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Muzică 9.0
Valoarea Revizionării 9.5

Do you hear the sound of flowers?

First of all excuse my English. Second of all how do i put my love for this drama into words? It’s been months since I watched my dearest but I still can’t get over it. This drama left a void in me, no other drama could satisfy me as much (in terms of chemistry and love story) as this one.

Plot: Lee Jang-Hyun is a mysterious man who suddenly appears in neunggunri (a small village). There a woman named Yoo Gil-appears in front of him and he falls for her at first sight. Yoo Gil-Chae is the daughter of noble a family. She is a lovely woman, brimming with confidence. Jang Hyun tried to win gilchae over but she admired another man. As the Quing invasion begins, jang Hyun and gil chae are torn apart.
The first 3 episodes are more like a romcom but as the quing invasion begins it takes a dark turn. (Episode 4 was sooooo well executed like WOOOOWWWW. I believe ep4 was the best historical k drama episode.)

I fell in love with this drama right away. Besides that it was a bit political heavy in the end,I have absolutely no complains. I loved everything of it. Especially our main leads🥹🥹 there SOOOOO BEAUTIFULLY written idk how to put my love for these two into words. I dont think u could have done any better with their writing. Gil chae is one of the best female lead characters I’ve ever seen. She is not that typical FL you’d except but a very realistic and competent character who acts rational accordingly.
Oh hand janghyun, I absolutely LOVEEE him. He has skyrocket my standards.
Also this dramas cinematography was just chief kiss. This is a must watch. Please give it a try!

Citeste mai mult

Considerați utilă această recenzie?
Completat
Vera
4 oamenii au considerat această recenzie utilă
sep 2, 2023
10 of 10 episoade văzute
Completat 0
Per total 8.5
Poveste 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Muzică 9.0
Valoarea Revizionării 7.0
Această recenzie poate conține spoilere

A mature historical kdrama - might or might not frustrate you.

My Dearest is a epic masterpiece most of the time - with beautiful cinematography, interesting plot and amazing acting. Set during 1600s when Qing declared war with Joseon, it tells the tough violent times with many innnocent lives lost, killed in brutal ways… In midst of the tragedy, there is Gil Chae, who started as an arrogant, spoiled young woman from a noble family, but who is forced to mature quickly because of war! And then there is the cynical realist Jang Hyun, who has seen it all. He”s a mysterious man with a dark past who is fascinated by the bold Gil Chae, she who has many men drooling after her because of her beauty and is disliked by other women because of jealousy and because she is not ladylike and is quite ”scandalous” known for flirting around. But she is in love with the scholar Yeon Jun, she tries everything to get his attention, but he’s engaged to her only friend - Eun Ae. Anyways everything is peaceful, but then war starts and it changes everything forever, Jang Hyun falls deeply in love with Gil Chae, Gil Chae however is confused by her own feelings …

My Dearest is somewhat loosely based on the classic Gone With the Wind, but it grows into its own unique story without much common with Gone With the Wind anymore. My Dearest is a serious, dark ”proper” historical drama, not one of those youthful lighthearted historical dramas with idol actors. The acting here is amazing and of highest quality, the quality overall is on the same league as Mr. Sunshine! Definitely not a cheap drama! Characters are multidimensional, flawed and complex. Both main leads - Jang Hyun and Gil Chae are very interesting characters. Jang Hyun is anything but naive, he doesn’t live in some bubble, he knows How dangerous, powerful and strong those ”barbarians” are, and that the Joseon men fighting in the war will most likely lose. Because he is not unfraid to be brutally honest, he is not popular among the others. Besides that, he has this playful nature, in order to hide his dark past. He is a womanizer who never wants to marry and he lives without a purpose. Just like Gil Chae, he is concidered ”scandalous”.

When Jang Hyun meets the much younger Gil Chae, he experiences true love. He loves teasing her, which often makes her angry. Just like the others, she looks down on him and is quite mean to him too, he is far from her ideal type…but when war starts she sees another side of him, and gets confused by her own feelings. Gil Chae, who has been in love with another man for years, refuses at first to admit her growing feelings for him, not only because she is in love with someone else, also because she doesn’t see him as serious since he teases her a lot and not wanting to ever marry.

The other characters are interesting too… we have Yeon Jun, an idealist who has studied confucianism all his life, he has been taught to put the King first, having him as the first priority, he is engaged to Eun Ae, an soft gentle young woman who is great at reading other people and a great observer, unlike Gil Chae. However, she is not nearly as strong as Gil Chae.
She loves Yeon Jun, despite not putting her first. But does Yeon Jun truly love Eun Ae?? Or is he with her only because she is the safe choice, while he has feelings for Gil Chae, but won’t act on them because she is too strong-willed for him, not some ”proper” lady. Then there is Ryung Eum, a legendary singer and Jang Hyun’s friend, he has a big Secret that he keeps to himself…

Despite the big age gap between Namkoong Min and Ahn Eun Jin the chemistry is AMAZING! I love their characters banter, how they quarrel and How both are so strong willed, refusing to back down! Sometimes Gil Chae gets a bit too harsh and mean to Jang Hyun, but we see she cares for him a lot. Jang Hyun sees Gil Chae for who she truly is, he admires her strength… would Yeon Jun admire Gil Chae’s strength? I doubt it,while he likes her he doesn’t want to a bold woman, he wants someone submissive. Anyways, Jang Hyun is willing to go so far for Gil Chae, and yes it’s frustrating because she doesn’t know that… but it’s not really her fault, because he never tells her how much he is willing to sacrifice for her. By the way, it’s such a delight to see how Gil Chae develops so much, how strong she actually is… at first you think she is quite stupid, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth… when it comes to surviving she is very smart. I love that.

Jang Hyun really grows on you, at first I didn’t know really want to think of him although I admired him for his brutal honesty and for being a realist, but I ended up really loving him and feel for him. He is without a dobt the best character in My Dearest, for me, and one of my all time favorite male leads in dramaland! Behind his playfulness he is quite vulnerable, all he wants is Gil Chae’s love! Namkoong Min does an outstanding job, he plays his character with so much depth. I’m glad they casted him, besides his outstanding acting he has a mature face, which in my opinion is important , because his character is supposed to be older who has been through a looot, I’m thankful they casted him instead of some younger baby faced actor. And Ahn Eun Jin is also outstanding! She plays her character so well, I’m glad she’s getting more popular. All actors are amazing!

This drama is very realistic, the sword fighting is great and the makers of this drama has done a great job potraying the uglyness of war, how it affects people, how it destroys them. Since My Dearest is for mature audience, it can get very brutal and violent. But that’s How it was during the Qing invasion of Joseon,people were tortured in the most horrific way possible, women were raped, etc. What I love about this drama is that the makers are not obsessed about having the actors look like flawless dolls, the make up artists actually makes them look dirty/ messy. Just as it should, there is no way during wars that they looked perfect and flawless, with make up on. Kudos to the makers of this drama, the make up artists… and kudos to the actors for not being scared of not looking perfect all the time!

Many says that ep 1-2 are not that interesting, that its not until ep 4 this drama gets VERY interesting! I liked ep 1-2 but yeah, it definitely got more interesting in ep 4. But it was important to introduce the characters in the first 2 episodes, so that we get to know a bit what they are like. My Dearest is a very tragically beautiful drama with lots of heart put into it, it’s a roller coaster full of emotions! I have to keep my breath sometimes, it’s a stressful drama because you never know what will happen and you fear for the characters, etc. it’s far from a predictable story, far from being cliche. I love that this drama is quite fast paced, I never feel bored!
Thanks to this drama I learned a lot about Korea’s history, I had no idea prior to this that there was war between Qing and Joseon. And learning about Khan, Mongolians and Manchu people was really interesting, it was interesting to see actors portraying them. They could be really brutal!

Honestly, tho … the love story can be very frustrating , because Gil Chae… For part 2- hopefully it will have the same high quality in part 2 too, which I think it will, because supposedly they split this into 2 parts so that the quality wouldn’t be less. .. I just hope that Gil Chae will realize how much she loves Jang Hyun, who’s done so much for her. So overall, a great watch if you can handle some very frustrating moments.. sometimes I felt like banging my head into wall to be honest, but the greatness is far stronger …

Citeste mai mult

Considerați utilă această recenzie?
Completat
flymeaway7
4 oamenii au considerat această recenzie utilă
ian 11, 2024
10 of 10 episoade văzute
Completat 0
Per total 9.0
Poveste 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Muzică 10
Valoarea Revizionării 9.5

epic, gripping and valuable.

if you're drawn to beautiful epic and orchestral music pieces this is one of the aspects where this show stands out and shines so brightly, I was moved since the very first scene, each piece simply brings out the deepest emotional element of the story and makes the it richer and more complex, this on its own made the show much more memorable, just as much as the cinematography, the composition of everything with the beautiful scenery and play with lighting gave a refined look to everything, there was so much attention to detail, it was very impressive.

For me the intricacies in the context of this story turned into a double edged sword at times, on one hand there were so many layers that made this piece truly interesting and worth studying, the historical nuances, developing the deeply unfair and harsh circumstances of the past, morals behind loyalty, power over love, honor over family and the people, even sacredness, chastity, marriage, inevitably pushes the audience to see how some things have changed drastically and some are still the same, to name a few, each of these became a critical part of the show, however at times it felt like piece by piece each story was moving at a confusing pace between push and pull that was not very balanced, with so many back stories so many characters with all kinds of different sub plots, turning the story a bit too dense, lacking some closure and with no seeming sense of relief in the horizon.

While I truly loved everyone's incredible job bringing each character to life, all the actors brought a top tier level performance (Hello Eunjin, you're a star!!) and had really nice chemistry, I have to mention Mr. Namkoong, the way he was able to command the scene without having his ego take over the dynamics between his counterparts and actually achieving the opposite, he injected a special kind of energy to his character, I'm looking forward to discover more of his works.

For me, the second half of the story was a bit tiring, and the ending didn't necessarily excite me but, I really believe this is worth watching and I will be recommending this.

Citeste mai mult

Considerați utilă această recenzie?
Completat
Layeeqa Samreen
4 oamenii au considerat această recenzie utilă
ian 7, 2024
10 of 10 episoade văzute
Completat 0
Per total 10
Poveste 10
Acting/Cast 10
Muzică 10
Valoarea Revizionării 10

BEST HISTORICAL KDRAMA !!!!!!❤️❤️

After a long time a drama ,that is soothing as well as which could prick ones heart have got to watch ,the potrayal of lead characters is quite appreciatable and commendable , when they longed for each other we longed for them to be together more , even though there were episodes were the leads doesn't have scene together one doesn't feel to skip because each character had a worthy story to tell about .
Two characters who called themselves selfish but when the time came they forgot themselves and fought for others with all their might , The depiction of female lead is quite good neither a whining girl who is waiting for her prince nor a girl who can fight off ten men but simply a girl who is strong willed and believes in what she does , her characters growth from the beginning to the end is vast . Talking about lead male ,what to say when the actor emotes with his eyes even we shed our tears along with him , the character is too deep , a noble born man but do like to be known as man who brought noble title with money , tells he has no empathy for people but all he did was simply live for them , a hero who doesnt gives a motivational speak of patriotism but someone who simply speaks with his actions , his words not nurtured by many yet it was all him who had wise ideas and tried to colloborate with everyone , courage not in his words but in his veins , last but not the least that laugh with that "aigoo"! how can one forget it , the depth of his love for his Gil chaye makes one wonders what is it to love a person , even after knowing she was pregnant though she was decieving him with it he simply wanted her to be happy , he wants nothing but simply her happiness.
If someone ignored this masterpiece thinking they have no taste in historical drama they are simply fathoming a brilliantly written and acted drama , which could show you one of the finest lovestories of joseon era.....

Citeste mai mult

Considerați utilă această recenzie?
Completat
Evinaki
4 oamenii au considerat această recenzie utilă
dec 10, 2023
10 of 10 episoade văzute
Completat 0
Per total 10
Poveste 10
Acting/Cast 10
Muzică 7.5
Valoarea Revizionării 10
Această recenzie poate conține spoilere

EPIC DRAMA

The most beautiful roma;nce and action drama. The plot was stormy and original enough, not to get bored, but made you can not stop watch it. For me it is difficult to watch fast or focused, but this one was the only drama that I loved so much. Charactes and cast was amazing, especially the protagonists. Everyone could feel the love of main lead, because was infinite. I was disappointed about the music. The only thing that I didn;t like was music and the artists of music. Of course, I will watch it again. Now I cannot watch other drama because I can't overcome this plot and this excellent acting.
I recommend it safely, it was the most unexpected excellent historical drama, that I have ever seen.

Citeste mai mult

Considerați utilă această recenzie?
Completat
Rebibug
4 oamenii au considerat această recenzie utilă
dec 23, 2023
10 of 10 episoade văzute
Completat 0
Per total 10
Poveste 10
Acting/Cast 10
Muzică 10
Valoarea Revizionării 10
Această recenzie poate conține spoilere

Better than Gone With The Wind

Tumultuous story that is strung together by the once in a lifetime chemistry of the leading couple. The entire cast is more mature than you would usually see and it pays off. The gravitas brought to each role is a feast for the audience. Every squint of the eye, flip of a ribbon, or glance to the side carries intention and depth of character. I found myself loving and hating each character in turn, including our main couple. The ships passed in the night one too many times, and I found myself frustrated constantly; but this made the moments of true connection so blissful that all was soon forgiven.

I’ve been a fan of Gone With The Wind since I was young, for its grand scale, frustratingly unresolved love story, and cinematic impact. I found myself carried along with the plot, adoring the homage to my beloved story, but worried it would ultimately end without our leads’ redemption. I feared I’d have to watch Rhett tell Scarlett he doesn’t give a damn and storm out. I was so relieved to find the story developed into a much richer and more meaningful tale of true love, sacrifice, fate, and forgiveness.

This film used color so well. The early scenes before war breaks out are presented in almost glowing hues, as if the saturation was turned up a bit past believable and really drives home the fact the our FL is living in a rosy version of reality that doesn’t quite exist, yet she is desperate to hold onto. Seeing the beauty of her transformation into muted colors as she truly matures, and we suddenly realize that glow is now coming from within her.

There’s so much I could say about this drama. I don’t rate 10’s often, and never across the board. But this one deserves it. I rarely write reviews, but here I am, still with tears in my eyes after episode 21, typing a review I can only hope will be coherent.

Don’t pass on this drama. It is a feast for the viewer and you won’t soon forget it.

Citeste mai mult

Considerați utilă această recenzie?
Completat
annelee2019
4 oamenii au considerat această recenzie utilă
sep 11, 2023
10 of 10 episoade văzute
Completat 0
Per total 9.0
Poveste 10
Acting/Cast 10
Muzică 9.0
Valoarea Revizionării 10

Daring, heartbreaking, deliciously complicated – a new (high) standard for sageuks

Won't bore you with the retelling of the plot – the MDL summary does a good job of that, plus many of you have probably heard that the scriptwriter was inspired by archetypes and plot threads from the American Civil War saga Gone With the Wind.

My love for this book was what made me check out the first episode, because, unlike Pride & Prejudice, or say, War & Peace, no-one in recent memory tried to reimagine that sweeping tale of conflict, survival, and strong, larger than life people, too stubborn to admit their true feelings.

Some scenes in My Dearest were indeed lifted from Margaret Mitchell's classic, very close to the text. And I'm grateful for them, because they were the only semi-predictable things in the course of this drama, some very necessary stepping stones into the ocean of unpredictability that followed. Anxiety while waiting for new episodes and whiplash after watching them – yeah, it has been a ride.

I must admit, it's rare when I don't have an idea where the things are going in a piece of literature or a movie, given the amount of things I have read/watched over the years. It is also the only drama in my drama-watching career that made me want to learn Korean, because I see how the actors enjoy reciting their lines and feel that the poetry of the spoken text is slipping through the cracks in the subtitles.

There are flaws in the production, to be sure. Aside from the masterpiece that is the main song, the OST is uneven in its quality.

The breathtaking visuals (I mean, look at the poster – the green field with two leads in yellow and blue is pretty unforgettable) and painstakingly executed shots (like when the main lead is taking out his bloody sword from an enemy's body to have a go at another dozen of enemies, and the sword shines ominously) are often botched by some very rushed (I am being generous here) editing, with close-ups that don't match the medium shots, pieces of conversation, the tenor of which contradicts the previous scene, or a sudden change in the editing axis.

It is also nearly impossible to make sense of the timeline or the distances between different locations in one city or one field. Sometimes it is very hard to guess how the characters got from one place to another, if, for instance, they had one horse for two people. And the characters frequently wear the same clothes and the same hair for a couple of days in a row – or, say, change in the morning, but return to the same outfit in the evening (episode 10, I'm looking at you in utter disbelief).

These things drive my inner perfectionist mad – hence some deductions in the overall score. But story-wise, character-wise, acting-wise, this show is close to perfect.

The story – because it touches upon all the things important to a living and breathing person, starting with romance (the linchpin of the story) and going forward with duty, family, friendship, loss, difficult choices, perseverance, hope, loss of thereof, you name it.

The characters – because they are wonderfully three-dimensional and complicated, like real people. The leads are similar and different at the same, tough as nails, but with a tofu heart. They do what they want, make things happen, and command respect and jealousy from people around. Because they are in different stages of their lives and their love to each other (a new and frightening experience for both of them, too), each conversation is a frustrating battle of wits; they throw cruel words at each other like it's nothing and show profound vulnerability a second after. This never-ending alchemical process prevents them from being together – or staying apart for long, unless the distance is more than a few quarters in the same city.

It's a very frustrating watch, and you feel for both of them, but you kind of don't have any notes to give to improve the situation. If only they talked more, not only about feelings, but about the general context of each other lives, or at least spend time observing each other in everyday situations, outside the cycle of breaking apart with anger and reuniting with cute... I presume we must get this in Part 2, because Part 1 was excruciatingly angsty... and all those misunderstandings and lack of communication are, in my opinion, are only slightly above the tried-and-true noble idiocy trope.

(And yes, Ahn Eun-jin and Namgoong Min totally kill their roles. They play off each other splendidly, equally, with loving abandon.)

What I liked most, though, is that all characters in this drama are equally complicated. A mild-mannered lady who faints at the sight of blood may like her drink and pranks. A cynic “I've seen it all, and I'm not naive like you” servant may find himself in a long-lasting love with a girl below his usual standards. Gossipy teachers at a rural school may turn out to be closer than brothers. An idealistic scholar who fights with his eyes closed during a life-and-death situation may suddenly throw a punch to protect his family's honor. A noble officer who acts like a goof in front of a girl he likes may be unexpectedly ruthless.

Every character in this story is someone that can surprise you, and you remember them for a long time — except for Joseon royals who, unlike their Qing counterparts, are a bunch of wet rugs so far... it's either the acting — after all, none of them are Lee Deok-hwa — or they should become more convincing in Part 2.

Oh, how I am waiting for Part 2, despite the imminent heartbreak! Bring on the pain, author-nim, PD-nim! It's a good kind of pain, the one that reminds you that life unfolds as it should, not as you want it to. That you can't control other people – and you can hardly control your own thoughts and feelings. The heart wants what the heart wants. But if two hearts want the same thing, they would probably find their way towards each other.

Go watch this show. It is better (less bitter) on a second viewing! Your opinion may vary, but the variety of opinions and emotions is a sign of depth, complexity — and that it hit the nerve.

Citeste mai mult

Considerați utilă această recenzie?
Completat
Lila1306
4 oamenii au considerat această recenzie utilă
apr 11, 2024
10 of 10 episoade văzute
Completat 0
Per total 10
Poveste 10
Acting/Cast 10
Muzică 10
Valoarea Revizionării 10

This was my first bingewatching. I loved it!

Absolutely one of the best I've ever seen! And I've seen a lot of them. It was so compelling from the beginning to the end that I had to keep busy until the morning. For me, the first time I just couldn't stop. I love history and how exactly that was in reality, I can't judge, but I found the implementation very realistic. The actors were just great. The main characters play so authentic, the newcomers (Crownprice and Ryang-eum) were also impressive.There are so many history dramas, but this is definitely one of the best with gripping fighting scenes and authentic locations. I've suffered so much, I've hoped for it, I've rejoiced. Clearly for me, a drama that touched me deeply and I hope you will love it, too.

Citeste mai mult

Considerați utilă această recenzie?
Lovers (2023) poster

Detalii

Statistici

  • Scor: 8.9 (Marcat de 1 utilizator)
  • Clasat: #88
  • Popularitate: #522
  • Spectatori: 30,686

Principalii Contribuabili

77 edita
62 editări
55 edita
36 edita

Liste Populare

Liste înrudite de la utilizatori
Short KDrama
2143 titles 485 loves 15
Most Romantic kdrama ever made.
182 titles 1847 voters 146 loves 44

Recent vizionat de